Vastu For Kitchen | An Architect Explains

The Kitchen is an extremely important part of the house, where healthy and nutritious food for the family is prepared and cooked. Raw and uncooked food is transformed into delicious meals, which provide ‘energy’ to the family. Sometimes, the family eats in the kitchen itself.

You know that the energy you get from the food is positive, if the food you eat makes you happy and content. If not, it means that you are receiving negative energy from the food. The reason could be that the food is not being prepared well due to some deficiencies in the kitchen. Negative energy starts to affect you physically and mentally and can affect your health. So it is absolutely essential that the kitchen exudes positive energy and supresses negative energy.

So how can this be achieved? According to Vastu Shastra, the right placement of the kitchen, the door to the kitchen, the fixtures, lighting and the colours can ensure that the Kitchen becomes a positive space. To know more about making your Dining room a vastu compliant space, read on…..

In the days gone by, food preparation and cooking were outdoor activities

Listed here, are some of the Vastu Guidelines for a Kitchen. In ancient times, many activities like cooking, washing of utensils and pre-preparation of food were done outside. Hence Vastu guidelines were primarily based on the Sun and the main wind directions. However today, the Kitchen has become a compact, efficient, safe and easy place to work in and so the planning is different. Yet, some of the vastu principles still hold good. Since Vastu is a science, there is logic and reasoning behind every guideline.As an Architect, I have attempted to explain each of these guidelines rationally and scientifically under the following headings, so that you can decide what you want to follow:

What is the best location for a Kitchen?

Where should the door to the kitchen be located?

Where should the cooking stove/hob be placed in the kitchen?

What is the best position for the sink in a kitchen?

What are the vastu guidelines for the fixtures in a kitchen?

What are the vastu guidelines for storage in a kitchen?

What are the ideal colours for a kitchen?

WHAT ACCORDING TO VASTU, IS THE BEST LOCATION FOR A KITCHEN?

First choice for Kitchen location: South-East

Second choice for Kitchen location: North-West

Avoid Kitchen in the North-East

Kitchen is best located in the South-East or North-West:The Scientific Reason – In earlier times, when the cooking was done on open stoves outside the house and combustible building materials were prone to catch fire, the cooking fire was preferred in the S-E corner or the N-W corner, where the hot summer wind, blowing from the S-W to the N-E direction could not cause damage by carrying sparks.

Avoid the Kitchen in the North-East : The Scientific Reason – Since the constant, morning sunlight enters from the North and East sides, these areas are reserved for a Meditation room and a Living hall from which all other spaces open. Hence it is a waste to have a Kitchen here.

A kitchen should be lit with the morning sunlight

ACCORDING TO VASTU, WHAT IS THE BEST POSITION FOR THE DOOR AND WINDOWS TO THE KITCHEN?

The door to the Kitchen should be in the North, East or North-East: The Logic – In a South-East kitchen, it makes sense to have an L-Shaped counter on the South and East walls for efficient use of space. Therefore, the entrance can be only from the North or West walls. Since the Living and Dining areas are in the Northern part of the house, it is natural that the door to the Kitchen should be from the North side.

The door should open clockwise: The Logic – Most of the population being right handed, it is easier to open the door in a clockwise direction when entering into the Kitchen.

The larger windows should be in the East: The Scientific Reason – The early morning sunrays are very beneficial to health and the UV rays of the sunlight kill germs. Hence the morning sunlight should be allowed into the house, especially in the Kitchen where germs thrive and multiply. Moreover, the sunlight is good for the health of the person who is busy in the kitchen in the mornings and doesn’t have the time to go out and get exposed.

Additional smaller windows can be in the South, for cross-ventilation: The Scientific Reason – In a Kitchen, where there is a lot of cooking fumes and odours, cross ventilation will ensure that the hot air and fumes exit out of the house and are replaced with fresh cool air from outside.

The windows in a kitchen should preferably be in the East

WHAT ARE THE VASTU GUIDELINES FOR THE POSITION OF THE COOKING STOVE?

The cooking stove should be in the South-East corner of the Kitchen: The Logic – In a South-East kitchen, it makes sense to have counters running on the South and East walls, for proper and efficient use of the space. Naturally the S-E corner becomes suitable for the main kitchen appliance, namely the Stove, as the rest of the counter space can be used for preparing and cleaning food to be cooked.

One should cook facing East: The Scientific Reason – Since the women get tied down with kitchen chores from early morning, they don’t get a chance to get exposed to the useful morning sunrays. So the best solution, is to force the women to cook facing East so that they can benefit from the sunlight falling on them.

The cooking stove should not be visible from the outside: The Logic – One feels uncomfortable to cook if people can see you from outside. Hence a little privacy helps.

WHAT ARE THE VASTU GUIDELINES FOR THE POSITION OF THE KITCHEN SINK?

The Kitchen sink should be in the North-East: The Scientific Reason – In earlier days, when there was no running water and water for washing purposes was stored in open vessels, it was preferred in the N-E corner where the morning UV rays would kill the germs and keep the water and the whole area purified. So this rule is not a hard and fast rule.

The Kitchen sink and cooking stove should not be close to each other: The Logicbeing, fire and water do not go together.

Avoid water taps in the corners of 2 counters: There should be no leaking taps in the kitchen. The Logic – It is quite difficult to wash if the sink is in the corner of two counters, as you tend to lean uncomfortably forward. Leaking taps just waste water.

WHAT ARE THE VASTU GUIDELINES FOR THE FIXTURES IN A KITCHEN?

The kitchen counters should preferably be on the East and South East walls: The Reason – Since morning sunlight is maximum from the East and the South-East, it makes sense to have the counters in these directions as the person preparing food will spend a lot of time facing these directions.

An L-shaped counter along the SE walls is ideal: The Reason – An L-shaped wall is the most efficient to work with.

All the kitchen appliances should be kept along the walls

The refrigerator should be in the South, West, South-West or North directions of the Kitchen: The Logic – Since the counters are fixed on the East and South-East walls of a S-E kitchen, the corners available for appliances like a refrigerator, are the N-W , West or the S-W corners.

The microwave should be in the South-East corner of the Kitchen: The Logic –A microwave just like a cooking stove is used for cooking food and so can be placed next to the stove in the South-East corner.

The exhaust fans should be in the East walls: The Logic – Since the cooking is done in the S-E corner, while facing East, it is obvious that the exhaust fan or chimney should be placed here.

Drinking water/water purifiers should be kept in the North, North-East of the Kitchen: The Scientific Reason – When water is to be stored, it is better to have it in the N-E corner where the morning UV rays can kill the germs and keep the water purified and clean for consumption.

WHAT ARE THE VASTU GUIDELINES REGARDING STORAGE IN A KITCHEN?

Keep the larder/food storage in the South or West parts of the kitchen: The Reason – In ancient times grains and food was stored in the South or SW corners of the kitchen as the sun’s heat is maximum from these directions and will help to keep the stored items dry and unspoiled.

Avoid overhead storage above the cooking stove: But it is useful to have overhead storage in the rest of the areas. The Logic – The space above the stove should be left open or fitted with an exhaust system (like a chimney) for the fumes to dissipate. Otherwise there is the likelihood of the overhead cupboard catching fire. Also cleaning the cupboard, shelf etc will be quite difficult as it will be covered with oil and grease.

Ideally, there should be a dining table in the kitchen

WHY IS IT RECOMMENDED IN VASTU, THAT ONE SHOULD EAT IN THE KITCHEN?

The Kitchen is the best place for the daily meals: The Logic – In earlier days, the lady of the house first served the meal to the rest of the family before eating herself and so it was convenient for her to make hot food and serve it right there instead of making it before hand and then transferring it all to the Dining room. Moreover, there is a charm in watching the lady cook the food right in front of you. The anticipation of the food makes it taste better and worth the wait.

The dining table should be in the North-West or West and not in the centre of the Kitchen: The Logic – If the Dining table is placed in the kitchen, it is best to keep it in a free corner, where there is less activity and the ideal place for that in a S-E kitchen, is the West or North-West corner. If it is placed in the centre of the room, it will be an obstruction in movement and the efficient use of the kitchen.

WHAT COLOURS DOES VASTU RECOMMEND IN THE KITCHEN?

The colour of the Kitchen walls: It is good to have a lot of green colour in the kitchen. For example green granite for flooring or green pictures, as this helps improve the appetite of the family members, Other suitable colours are soft pink, yellow and orange. The Logic – Studies have found that the color of a food can greatly affect how its taste is perceived. Some colours are thought to be stimulating, like the bright yellows and oranges at fast-food outlets that are intended to make you eat more, while others are thought to be soothing, like the greens of a rainforest.

So now you can see how important it is to enhance the positive energy in a Kitchen through design. Since the kitchen is adjacent to the dining room and store Room and leads to the kitchen backyards, it is important that these spaces too are designed in such a way that they are full of positive energy. Read about them here:

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161 thoughts on “Vastu For Kitchen | An Architect Explains”

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I am constructing house on east facing plot. in my plan kitchen in north after middle west side then one bed room in West side.in front north east Living room & South east side guest bed room under construction. please suggest me . what can i do for better?Hi R K Rai,
What you have planned is all okay.
Admin

My apartment is in 7th floor of building. It is east facing and the kitchen is west facing means when i cook i face to west. Plz tell me the correct positioning of sink, gas stove, electric appliance and refrigerated.Hi Shweta,
The positioning of these fixtures depends on your counter arrangement. Go through this post and my post on Kitchen Arrangement
Admin

Hi sir, we are staying in rented house kitchen is on southeast and next to stove with very small space sink is there. Next to that way to kitchen balcony .Is it good to have kitchen balcony in that place ? What we can keep there . Currently we are washing vessels and keeping dustbins brooms there pls adviceHi Vasuki,
Its okay to have a balcony and you can have all the stuff there. You could also have some short plants to liven up the space.
Admin

All bagwas, your destiny is already decided.Do not connect scientific reason as Westerners are Scot free from this belief.Hi Mani Sah,
I dont agree. I believe that you make your own destiny by your actions and that it is not predestined. Here, I have attempted to explain on a scientific basis, why vastu shastra rules were formed and why it makes sense to follow them.
Admin

In Malabar of North Kerala, most of the ancestral homes have east facing house with kitchen in the northeast corner. The lady faces east while cooking In the northeast kitchen. Adjacent to kitchen and sometimes attached (for easy access of water), there is a well. This has been the norm of every traditional old home which seems to be very different from SE/NW kitchen.Hi Vini,
Very true. That is why I tell my readers that there is no need to fret if your kitchen cannot be placed in the ideal ‘vastu’ corner. It is sufficient if one can get enough morning sunlight from the east into the kitchen through a strategically placed window.
Admin

Sir,
all the information from this site is being very important to me. I am from Brazil in my last year of architecture school and i need to do a graduation project. My choice is Vastu Shastra and in brazil this science is still weak, less known so i feel i am doing good by talking and writing about it. Thank you for your amazing job in this website.Hi Bruna Cavalcanti,
Thank you for the appreciation. I am glad this website is useful to you.
Admin

Hello Sir,
We have a entry door with north east facing. Kitchen is in North east. Gas stove is north facing hence she is facing north while cooking. We have a window in West Wall (north west corner). Is it ok to face north while cooking.Other alternative is facing west but in that case stove will face window. Also distance between sink and window will be 1 ft if she faces west.Hi Parikshit,
Facing North while cooking is a good option.
Admin

The best location is the S/E corner for kitchen, but I have a problem in my plot area. I have( L) shaped plot .I dont have some part of N/E area.Can i build my kitchen in that balance (S/E )part of area.Hi Vijay Kumar,
Yes you can do that.
Admin

Hello Sir,
I have recently purchased home for my family. At my new home, Kitchen is at North east and Bedroom is at South direction. I want to design my new home in such a way that I want to convert my kitchen into a Studio and bedroom into Kitchen. Can I go for my idea and will that be good as per Kitchen Vastu?Hi Ankita,
Your renovation ideas are an improvement on the present layout, vastu-wise. So go ahead.
Admin